Liver Disease and Celiac Disease

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Liver Disease

 

 

 

 

What is the Liver?

The liver is one of the largest and most important organs in the body.

It stores vitamins, sugars, fats, and other nutrients from the food. It

builds chemicals that the body needs to stay healthy, breaks down

harmful substances like alcohol and other toxic chemicals, and removes

waste products from the blood.

What is Liver Disease?

The term liver disease applies to many diseases and disorders that

cause the liver to function improperly or stop functioning. Abnormal

results of liver function tests often suggest liver disease.

 

Primary biliary cirrhosis is an inflammation of the bile ducts of

the liver resulting in narrowing and obstruction. The cause of inflamed

bile ducts within the liver in this condition is not known. The disease

more commonly affects middle-aged women. The onset of symptoms is

gradual, with fatigue and itching skin as the most common first

symptom. Long-standing bile obstruction is believed to lead to liver

cirrhosis. The disease may be associated with autoimmune disorders.

Symptoms can include: Itching, jaundice, enlarged liver, abdominal

pain, fatty deposits under the skin, soft yellow spots on the eyelid

and fatty stools.

 

 

Autoimmune hepatitis is inflammation of the liver caused by

immune cells that mistake the liver's normal cells as harmful invaders.

A person with autoimmune hepatitis has autoantibodies circulating in

the bloodstream that cause the immune system to attack the liver.

Autoimmune hepatitis sometimes occurs in relatives of people with

autoimmune diseases, suggesting a genetic cause. This disease is most

common in young girls and women. Symptoms can include: dark urine, loss

of appetite, fatigue, malaise, abdominal distention, generalized

itching, pale or clay-colored stools, nausea and vomiting.

 

Other Liver Diseases Associated with Celiac Disease

 

Reactive hepatitis - Irritation of the liver that sometimes

causes permanent damage.

Autoimmune liver disorders

Autoimmune (sclerosing) cholangitis - An inflammation of the bile

ducts of the liver without a specified cause.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease - A range of conditions

involving the liver that affects people who drink little or no alcohol

and causes a build-up of excess fat in liver cells.

Acute liver failure - Liver failure is severe deterioration of

liver function

Cryptogenic cirrhosis - Cirrhosis due to unidentified causes and

a common reason for liver transplantation. Cirrhosis is a chronic

problem that makes it hard for the liver to remove toxins from the body.

Regenerative nodular hyperplasia - A rare disorder that is often

associated with connective tissue disorders; cancer of the blood, bone

marrow and lymph nodes; or drugs and is a cause of non-cirrhotic portal

hypertension.

Hepatocellular carcinoma - A primary cancer of the liver.

 

Liver Disease and Celiac Disease

There is growing evidence that a many liver injuries in children and

adults may be related to CD, the disease-causing mechanism of liver

damage in celiac patients is poorly understood. The different types of

liver disease described may represent a spectrum of a same disorder

where individual factors, such as genetic predisposition, early

exposure and duration of exposure to gluten may influence the

reversibility of liver damage.

Celiac disease has been found in:

 

6.4% of patients with autoimmune hepatitis

5-10% of patients with chronically abnormal liver tests and no

obvious cause of liver disease.

6-8% of patients with autoimmune liver diseases

Research has shown a 3% prevalence of primary biliary cirrhosis

in people with celiac disease. In single cases, celiac disease has also

been found to be associated with autoimmune cholangitis and primary

sclerosing cholangitis.

 

Treatment

Treatment with a gluten-free diet in patients with both celiac disease

and liver disease can lead to prevention of hepatic failure even in

severe cases where liver transplantation is being considered.

References

 

American Liver

Foundation

Coeliac UK

Duggan, J. M. et al. (2005). Systematic review: the liver in

coeliac disease. Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics 21 (5),

515–518.

Iacono, O Lo et al. (2005). Anti-tissue transglutaminase

antibodies in patients with abnormal liver tests: is it always coeliac

disease? American Journal of Gastroenterology, 2472-7.

Lawson, J. West, G. P. Aithal, R. F. A. Logan (2005). Autoimmune

cholestatic liver disease in people with coeliac disease: a

population-based study of their association. Alimentary Pharmacology

and Therapeutics 21 (4), 401–405.

Maggiore, Giuseppe et al. (2006). Liver Involvement in Celiac

Disease. Indian Journal of Pediatrics, Vol 73.

Medline

Plus

 

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disease symptoms checklist.